When the Sun Shines, We'll Shine Together
by BakeryHoePie
Summary: Beca Mitchell and Stacie Conrad have been best friends since before they could even talk. It's always been them against the world. And they've been perfectly content with that. Until the day that Chloe Beale tornadoes through their lives. They meet her for the first time when they are all twelve at summer camp. They quickly form a close knit friendship, only to be torn apart


**A/N: Hello my lovely Pitch Perfect fans. I am here with a new fic for you. I couldn't get the idea of writing a Bechacie fic out of my head, so it turned into this. I am letting you know right now that this is going to turn into a polyamorous relationship eventually, so if you are not okay with that, you might want to skip this. But, you are pretty safe reading it right now. It is just a super fluffy friendship piece of tooth rotting fluffiness….so yeah. I hope that you enjoy this little crack ship. Feel free to let me know what you thought. Drop me a comment or a review. Or come bug me on Tumblr and let me know if you loved it or hated it. Or maybe you have an idea that you want to share. Regardless, I hope that you enjoy….read on beautiful people.**

 **Shout out to Randomme103 for dealing with my craziness and for betaing this and everything else that I write. And for being totally patient while I teased her with ideas and little snippets while I wrote this.**

 **When the Sun Shines, We'll Shine Together – Chapter 1**

 **Beca POV**

They met Chloe for the first time when they were twelve years old. Stacie was thrilled because they were going to summer camp for the first time. Beca on the other hand, was low key excited to go to camp. She was actually dying on the inside with excitement; she just refused to show it. She had a self-proclaimed 'tough' exterior that she had to keep up. Beca and Stacie's parents registered the two girls for a music summer camp in Savannah, Georgia.

Stacie and Beca have known each other since they were born. Stacie's mom Marjorie and Beca's mom Janice were best friends. They had known each other since they were in middle school. They did everything together. The two women married their high school sweethearts and moved into houses that were right next to each other. They even found out that they were pregnant within a month of each other. Stacie and Beca were born in the same hospital in Atlanta within two days of each other. Stacie made sure to point out that she was two days older than Beca as often as possible.

When Marjorie and Janice told the two girls' that they were going to camp for the summer, Stacie couldn't stop the squeal from escaping her mouth as she pulled Beca into a tight hug. Beca tried to fight the hug, squirming in Stacie's arms.

" _Ugh. Stace, let me go."_

" _But Becs, we get to go to CAMP!"_

" _Ya, I heard."_ Beca struggles until she finally breaks out of Stacie's grip. Beca has to bite back a smile as she looks at her best friend. Stacie's toothy grin is infectious.

" _It's going to be so AWESOME!"_

" _You hate being outside."_

" _So do you."_

" _I don't hate it. My skin does."_

" _Same difference."_ Stacie shrugs, grabbing Beca's hand in her own to pull her best friend upstairs to her room.

Beca was no stranger to the insane summer heat of Georgia. The humidity mixed with the mid ninety degree temperatures made for some insanely uncomfortable summers.

She was already sweating when she stepped out of Marjorie's SUV. The jean shorts that she had chosen for the trip were sticking to the backs of her thighs. Whoever decided that making cars with leather seats was a good idea deserved to be punched in their face.

Stacie didn't seem bothered by the heat like Beca was, probably too busy being excited over the anticipation of finally being at camp. The taller brunette will likely change her mind when they actually have to start doing outdoorsy activities. The idea of Stacie hiking makes Beca laugh out loud. Stacie loves being outside, she really does. But actually 'roughing' it is something that her best friend does not know how to do.

They go through the introductions with the camp counsellors before being broken off into their cabin assignments. Stacie and Beca are grouped up with eight other girls in their age group. They are a diverse group of girls from all over the country, world in Amy and Flo's cases.

Stacie takes a liking to the group immediately, her outgoing nature being embraced by the other girls. Beca on the other hand, sticks quietly to Stacie's side. Her more reserved nature makes for slightly awkward social interactions for the brunette.

Chloe makes the first move, plopping down on Beca's neatly made bed. Beca is hunched over a book in the corner, scribbling something into the journal. When Beca's concentration turns away from the book, she opens her mouth to yell at whoever the heck decided to interrupt her while she is writing. Her words die in her throat when she meets the bright blue gaze of the redhead in front of her. The girl's grin is electric and Beca can't keep her own lips from turning up in a shy smile.

" _Hi."_

" _Um, hello."_

" _I'm Chloe."_

" _Beca."_ Beca replies, fumbling with her notebook as she snaps it closed. _"That's me. Beca."_

" _It's nice to meet you, Beca."_

" _You too Chloe."_ Beca turns her attention back to her work, flipping the journal back to the saved page. She scribbles at the page, the tip of her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration.

" _What are you doing?"_

" _Hmm?"_ Beca asks, navy blue eyes flitting up to meet Chloe's questioning gaze. _"What did you say?"_

" _Oh. I asked what you were working on."_

" _Nothing really. Just writing down some song lyrics."_

" _Oh my gosh! You write music?"_

" _I guess. I mean, it's not like any good. But yeah."_

" _That's totes awesome! Can I see?"_ Chloe scoots her body closer to Beca's, trying to catch a peek of what the brunette is working on.

" _Um, I guess."_

Chloe leans over to glance at Beca's work, her shoulder resting against the brunette's. Beca has to will her heart to slow down, as she is not used to such close human interaction. Stacie is definitely a hugger, but she isn't overly clingy with Beca as she knows it can make her slightly uncomfortable.

Chloe sits in silence, her head resting on Beca's shoulder as the brunette continues to work. The silence is comfortable, which is saying a lot since Chloe is essentially a stranger to the brunette.

Beca isn't sure how long they sit like that, but eventually they get called out for lunch and 'bonding activities.'

Chloe hops off of the bed first, interlacing her fingers with Beca to pull the brunette out of bed. Beca yelps as she is pulled up, but she allows the redhead to lead her to the other side of their cabin. There is a stoic looking blonde sitting on one of the bunkbeds with a novel covering her eyes.

" _Bree?"_ Chloe leans over to poke at the slumbering girl, her other hand still firmly grasping Beca's. _"Bree?"_

" _Hmmm?"_ The blonde lifts the book off of her face, her eyes sleepily scanning the room as she fights to wake up.

" _It's time for lunch."_

" _Alright."_ The blonde sits up on the bed, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. _"Who is the midget?"_

" _Hey. I'm not a midget, blondie."_ Beca's eyes narrow at the blonde.

" _Bree, this is my new friend Beca. Beca, this is my best friend Aubrey."_

Aubrey eyes Beca warily as she gets to her feet. The three girls make their way out of the cabin, Chloe's hand never leaving Beca's.

The 'bonding activity' turned out to be a scavenger hunt. Each cabin teamed up and they were given a list.

Aubrey named herself the leader of the group. Nobody really wanted to argue with her. She had a commanding presence and an all too serious need to win.

Needless to say, the 'Bellas' won the scavenger hunt. They might not of had fun doing so, but Aubrey told them that winning doesn't have to be fun.

They didn't escape the scavenger hunt completely unscathed however. Both Stacie and Beca fell into a suspect group of leaves that may or may not have been poison ivy. Chloe tripped over an uprooted tree branch and fell onto the ground. She had a loose cuspid tooth that was knocked out when she fell. Tears immediately began to fall from the redhead's eyes, mostly from the pain of hitting her face on the ground. As she gets to her feet, Beca notices that she has blood coming from her mouth, as well as a noticeable scrape on her forehead.

" _I need the tooth."_ Chloe's words end with a hiccup as a sob takes over.

" _It's just a tooth Chloe."_ Aubrey's small yet commanding voice reprimands the redhead, causing her to cry even more.

" _But it was my last baby tooth."_

" _Grow up, Chloe. You'll be fine."_

Beca feels her heart constrict at the redhead's sobs. She is overcome with the fierce need to protect the other girl. Judging by the look on her best friend's face, Stacie feels the same way. Both girls make their way over to Chloe. The redhead smiles sadly, sucking in deep breaths to calm her sobs. Stacie wraps her little arms around Chloe, pulling her in for a tight embrace. Chloe immediately relaxes in Stacie's arms. Beca watches as her best friend holds the other girl, Chloe's shoulders are shaking with her sobs. Beca can see the small trail of blood stuck to Chloe's chin. She moves without thinking, grasping Chloe's arm softly to pull her away from Stacie. As soon as Chloe meets Beca's eyes, her heart breaks. Chloe's tearstained cheeks are reddened from crying. Her bright blue eyes are red and puffy and tears are still falling from the corners. Chloe tries to offer a smile but, it only results in her letting out a hiccup.

" _Hey Chloe?"_

" _Hmmm?"_ Chloe hums quietly.

" _You have some blood on your chin from your tooth. I'm going to wipe it off k?"_

Chloe nods her head, sniffling loudly. Beca cradles Chloe's chin in one hand and uses the other to lift the bottom of her shirt up so that she can carefully wipe the drying blood off of the redhead's chin. Chloe leans into the touch, nuzzling into Beca's hand. Chloe's tear filled blue eyes lock onto Beca's navy blues. The redhead offers a sad smile that makes Beca's heart clench painfully in her chest. As soon as Beca wipes away the last bit of blood, Chloe's arms are wrapped tightly around her waist. Beca stiffens at the unfamiliar contact of being hugged, but relaxes quickly when Chloe lets out a soft sigh.

" _Girls. We don't have all day to stand out here giving out hugs. We have a challenge to win."_ Aubrey barks out, making the two girls break apart. Chloe's hand blindly reaches out for Beca's, interlacing their fingers together.

Chloe clings to Beca and Stacie's side throughout dinner, wedging her tiny body in-between theirs as they sat down to eat. The two brunettes are silent through the meal, listening as Chloe rattles off most of her life story to them.

They have been in bed for less than ten minutes when Beca feels the side of her mattress dip down as another body crawls in next to her.

" _Becs? Are you sleeping?"_

" _Hmmm? Not yet Stace, what's up?"_ Beca croaks out, her voice heavily laden with fatigue.

" _I feel bad for Chloe."_

" _Me too Stace, me too."_ Beca turns around to face her best friend. _"What can we do about it though?"_

" _Well, I don't have any money. We could draw her something."_

" _Okay. You gotta draw though. I'm not a very good artist."_

" _You are too. We can draw together."_

" _Okay."_

Beca pulls grabs her notebook and a flashlight from under her pillow. She hands the flashlight to Stacie, who switches it on while she opens the back of her lyric notebook. The two girls work side by side, sketching on the blank page late into the night, lying on their stomachs on the hard mattress.

It's around two thirty in the morning when they finish their present for Chloe. Stacie has been constantly fidgeting on the bed for the last hour, pausing every so often to scratch incessantly at her legs.

" _Stacie. Quit moving or you are going to jack the drawing up."_

" _I can't help it. I'm like super itchy."_

" _I get it. But can you like chill with all the moving? My legs are itchy too."_

Stacie moves to sit up on the bed, pointing the flash light on her legs. Both girls let out a gasp as the flashlight reveals red welts all across Stacie's legs. Small blisters are forming over the reddened skin. Stacie flashes the light across Beca's legs to see that she is also covered in red welts.

" _I guess that was poison ivy that we fell into."_

" _Oh, man. It's really bad."_

" _Yeah. We should probably tell counselor Gail before it gets worse."_

" _Okay. Let's go. We have to drop off Chloe's present too."_

The two girls get out of Beca's bed, making their way quietly over to Chloe's bed. Chloe is turned on her side, red curls draped across her face. Her mouth is upturned in a small smile as she sleeps. Beca lifts the empty side of her pillow up so that the can slip the drawing underneath it. She sets the pillow back down carefully, so as not to wake up the slumbering redhead.

" _Do you think that she will like it?"_ Stacie questions, insecurity lacing her tone.

" _She's going to love it."_ Beca says confidently, bending over to scratch at her legs. _"Okay, this is starting to hurt now. We need to go."_

The next morning was pretty much the best and worst day of Beca's young life. Chloe was so excited over the present that she and Stacie made. As soon as she found the picture, she immediately jumped into Beca's bed to wrap her up in a hug. Even though she had only known the perky redhead for twenty four hours, she already feels a strong connection with the other girl.

As it turns out, being covered in poison ivy rash was no walk in the park. Not that Beca really thought that it was going to be fun being covered in an itchy rash. The itchiness reminded Beca of the time that she and Stacie had chicken pox when they were five. The amount of scratching that she is tempted to do is torturous, and by the way that Stacie has been fidgeting all morning, she is feeling the same way.

 **Stacie POV**

Stacie wasn't sure if she was completely miserable, or in utter bliss. She was absolutely ecstatic to finally be at camp. She has been begging her mom and dad to let her go to summer camp since she and Beca were seven and they finally agreed to let her go this year. Even more exciting for Stacie was the fact that Beca, albeit reluctantly, agreed to go to camp with her.

She definitely didn't expect to fall into poison ivy on the very first day of camp.

Things rarely ever happened the way that Stacie thinks that they will.

She also didn't expect to meet the perkiest redhead that she has ever met in her life.

Chloe Beale.

Stacie would compare Chloe to the brightest day of summer. The brightest rays of sunlight that you have to squint to look at, but you are powerless not to.

Chloe took a liking to Beca almost immediately after meeting Stacie's broody best friend. She has been completely enamored and attached to Beca and Stacie.

So while Stacie is completely miserable from being as itchy as she was when she and Beca had chicken pox when they were five, she can't help but be extremely excited about her blossoming friendship with Chloe.

Their second day of camp was spent doing what the counselors called 'cabin bonding time.' They basically got to pick an activity and spend the day bonding with their cabin mates. Stacie suggested that they should go swimming in the lake. Jessica, Ashley, Chloe and Cynthia Rose all voted for swimming. Lilly voted that they should practice throwing knives at each other, or did she say throw practice knives at each other? Stacie didn't get a chance to ask because Aubrey vetoed that idea immediately, stating that twelve year olds should not be allowed to hold knives, let alone throw them.

The group finally settled on swimming in the lake, much to Beca's dismay.

Stacie's absolute favorite thing in the world is to swim. There is just something about being submerged in water that she absolutely loves.

Beca and swimming are like oil and water. While Stacie was pretending to be a mermaid in her backyard, Beca was usually nearby with her face in a book, or writing down lyrics in her notebook. Every single time that Stacie tried to get Beca in the water, she would politely refused, pointing out that humans were meant to be on land and not in the water.

Eventually, Stacie gave up trying to teach Beca how to swim. She was content with having her best friend nearby while she enjoyed the cool water during muggy summer days.

It didn't surprise Stacie when she found a Beca sized lump underneath the covers on the bottom bunk of their bed. Stacie sits down on the edge of the bed, careful not to smoosh her best friend.

" _Hey Becs. Whacha doing?"_

" _Imnawtherrr"_

" _What?"_

Beca huffs, unburying her head from the lump of comforter. _"I said, I'm not here."_

" _Why are you hiding?"_

 _You had to go and pick swimming."_

" _I'm sorry Becs. But did you see that giant inflatable slide that they have on the lake? It looks like so much fun."_

" _I mean, I guess. Too bad that I am going to drown now. But at least you'll have fun on your stupid slide."_

" _Becs. I'm not going to let you drown. We will just tell them that you don't know how to swim."_

" _No way dude. We can't do that. What twelve year old doesn't know how to swim? I'll look so lame."_

" _It will be fine Beca. I promise."_

" _You don't know that."_

" _Are you guys ready to go swim?"_ Chloe walks up to Beca's bed, a bright, toothy grin plastered across her face. She has a little mermaid towel resting on her shoulder.

" _You mean, am I ready to go die? Well the answer to that is no."_

" _You're not going to die Becs. It's just a lake."_

" _Easy for you to say. You are probably good at swimming."_

" _Beca doesn't know how to swim."_

" _Oh."_ Chloe tucks her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it as she contemplates something. After a few minutes she nods her head determinedly, smiling at Stacie and Beca. _"I have to go do something. I'll meet you guys at the lake."_

" _Hopefully I won't be dead by then."_

" _You'll be fine. Get ready Becs."_

" _Ugh, fine."_

 **Beca POV**

Beca manages to stall for another ten minutes before Stacie all but forces her to change into her swimsuit. After another five minutes of ribbing Beca for owning a swimsuit when she doesn't even know how to swim, the two girls grab towels and head out of their cabin.

Most of the Bellas' are already taking turns on the inflatable slide, screaming wildly as they are propelled down the vinyl slide into the lake below. Chloe is by the water's shore, holding two inflatable arm floaties in her hand, a small smile on her face as she waves the two girls over.

" _Look Becs, I got you these arm floaties."_

" _I can see that. Why?"_

" _Um…"_ Chloe gazes down at her feet, shuffling them awkwardly. When she looks back up at Beca, her blue eyes are wide with apprehension. _"I thought that Stacie and I could teach you how to swim."_

" _Oh my god, yes! That's a great idea Chloe."_ Stacie jumps in place, clapping her hands together loudly.

" _This seems like a bad idea."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because, my life will be in the hands of you two."_

" _I'll have you know, Beca, that I am great at swimming. And I got you these floaties to help keep you from drowning."_

Beca's navy blue eyes shift between Chloe and Stacie. An exasperated sigh leaves her lips as she realizes that she is not going to win this argument. Between the eager look on her best friend's face, and Chloe's pouty lip, Beca knows that she is going to crumble.

" _Fine. But if I die, you guys get to tell my mom and dad."_

" _You're not going to die, Beca. Stop saying that."_

" _Let's just get this over with so that you two will leave me alone."_

Beca really didn't want to spend any time in the water. She had gone this long without learning how to swim, so she was perfectly okay with it never happening.

Now that she is submerged in the water, she isn't as afraid of it as she originally thought she was. Currently she was floating on her back in the water, complaining to Chloe and Stacie about the arm floaties.

" _These make me look like an idiot."_

" _No they don't, Beca,"_ Stacie replies as her arms rest against Beca's back underneath the water, keeping the younger girl afloat. _"Now shut up and paddle your little arms."_

" _You look fine, Becs. I could've grabbed the hot pink floaties."_

" _Ew. There is no way that I would've worn pink floaties. I would've held your head under the water, Chloe."_

" _I don't believe that, Beca."_

" _Well you should."_

" _I would, but you would have to come into the water in order to do that."_

" _Oohhhh. She has you there Becs."_

" _Ugh. You both are the worst friends ever."_

" _Keep paddling Beca Mitchell."_

Beca lets out an annoyed sigh, continuing to paddle her small arms in the cool water. The three girls spend the entire cabin bonding time together, Stacie and Chloe taking turns holding Beca while she learns the basics of swimming. By the end of their day, Beca has a pretty solid doggy paddle down, and she even able to do it unassisted.

 **Chloe POV**

Summer Camp.

Chloe was completely ecstatic to be at summer camp again. This was her and Aubrey's third year at summer camp.

Chloe loved every single thing about being at camp. She loved the outdoors activities and the time that she got to spend socializing with other campers.

Chloe is what one would call a social butterfly. She absolutely loves meeting and befriending new people.

Her best friend Aubrey isn't quite as outgoing as Chloe when it comes to social interactions. She tries so hard to get along with other people and branch out, but her strict upbringing has left the girl with a tough exterior.

Chloe has known Aubrey since they were in kindergarten. Their parents moved into the same section of base housing, just a few doors down from each other. The two girls hit it off right away, mostly due to Chloe's determined nature. She was persistent in pursuit of the blonde's friendship, fighting like hell to get the blonde to open up to her.

It was a tiring process to break down Aubrey's reinforced walls, but Chloe was nothing if not pushy. She worked her butt off to get Aubrey to open up to her. When she finally succeeded, it was the most beautiful thing that Chloe had ever seen in her young life.

Aubrey tried really hard to play like she wasn't a fragile soul, but she was one of the most sensitive people that Chloe had ever met. She was fiercely loyal, and the best friend that Chloe could've ever asked for.

Now as far as camp goes, Aubrey didn't share in Chloe's excitement. The only reason that she kept going to camp was because she knew that Chloe would be heartbroken if she didn't go.

It wasn't that Aubrey didn't like camp. She enjoyed being outside and doing the planned activities that the counsellors provided for them. It was being around the other kids that made her anxious. They always had a tendency to write her off as unfriendly or bitchy, and it was usually because of her super competitive nature.

Chloe never knew about Aubrey not liking camp, because Aubrey went out of her way to make her best friend happy. She had her slipups sure; she is her father's daughter, after all. The majority of the time, Aubrey managed to keep a bright grin plastered on Chloe's face. As remiss as Aubrey is to admit it, keeping Chloe happy had always been her number one priority.

Meeting Beca was absolutely the highlight of Chloe's day. Sure, they were only on their first day of camp, but Chloe was more of a living in the now person, rather than a down the road type. She knew that upon first meeting Beca, the brunette was going to end up being one of her best friends.

Beca was definitely the polar opposite of Chloe in terms of personality. She was reserved where Chloe was open. Quiet where Chloe was boisterous.

During the scavenger hunt on their first day, Chloe fell and knocked out one of her molars. Aubrey got upset about her crying over being unable to find the tooth after it fell out.

Beca and Stacie were immediately protective of Chloe, helping her clean up her face and hugging her while she cried. They took the time to comfort Chloe, even after they both fell into a patch of poison ivy.

When she woke up the next morning, she found a piece of paper underneath her pillow.

The drawing was simple enough. But it surpassed anything that Chloe could've ever wanted. She knew that it was from Beca due to the signature at the bottom matching the handwriting that she had seen on Beca's lyric pages the day before. In the picture there are three intricately detailed insects. There is a bright red ladybug that has 'Chloe' written above it in a neat, loopy scrawl. The ladybug is surrounded on either side of its body. On one side stands a green grasshopper that is wearing a small pair of headphones. The same loopy scrawl depicts the insect as 'Beca.' On the ladybugs other side is a brightly colored butterfly with Stacie's name written above it. Above the three insects, a graffiti like scrawl has drawn, 'Bella's For Life.' The drawing makes a few tears fall down Chloe's cheeks, her heart overflowing with gratitude for the sweet gesture. After staring longingly at the picture for a few minutes, Chloe took the picture and placed it carefully in her suitcase, so that it would not get damaged.

When she managed to find Beca after breakfast to thank her, Beca informed Chloe that Stacie helped with the drawing. She immediately embraced both of the girls, thanking them profusely for her present.

" _You guys didn't have to draw anything for me."_ Chloe pulls out of the hug, one of her arms still wrapped around Stacie's waist.

" _Yeah, we wanted to though."_ Stacie replies, her right arm slung across Chloe's shoulders.

" _Thank you."_ Chloe reaches with her free hand to lace her fingers with Beca's. The smaller brunette flinches slightly at the sudden contact, but Beca's hand tightens around Chloe's before she can pull away.

" _You're welcome,"_ Beca mumbles as a red blush spreads across her cheeks.

Their second day at camp was spent teaching Beca how to swim at the lake.

By the third day, the trio is attached at the hips. They ended up spending the night cuddled up in Beca's bed. Their night had been spent telling goofy stories and laughing over nonsensical things. By the time they wake up in the morning, all of their cabin mates are already eating breakfast. The three girls scramble out of Beca's bed and hastily throw clothes on before making their way towards the breakfast area together. They have to run through camp as they are assaulted by the torrential downpour of rain outside. They quickly grab their food before making their way to the Bella table. Aubrey stands up to address the table halfway through their meal. She has to clear her throat a few times to gather everybody's attention. Chloe knows that the girls aren't going to stop their incessant chatter to listen to her best friend. After a moment's contemplation, she purses her lips and lets out a sharp whistle, causing them to all turn their attention to the pissed off looking blonde.

" _Thank you for your attention, ladies. Today we are going to have a group activity. It called for us to go hiking but as you can see, the weather has decided to change our plans. So we are going to do arts and crafts inside. I got to choose the type of craft to do, and I chose paint by numbers."_

A chorus of groans rings out as the girls vocalize their disapproval of the chosen activity. Beca is the only one brave enough to step forward with a determined look on her face. Chloe's bright blue eyes take in the scene around her. The group looks extremely unhappy at the prospect of having to such a juvenile activity. She knows how much Aubrey loves doing the paint by numbers pictures. Something about the instructions to paint each number a certain color sates the blonde's need to be in control. Chloe's gaze locks onto the steely blue gaze of her new friend. Beca looks annoyed at Aubrey's words. Her arms are crossed over her chest, navy blue eyes narrowed at the blonde. Before Chloe can stop Beca, the fiery brunette opens her mouth to speak up for the group.

" _Aubrey, paint by numbers is for babies. Why would we want to do that?"_

Aubrey steps towards Beca, her hands on her hips and her mouth set in a deep scowl. She raises an eyebrow at Beca, as if to challenge the small brunette.

" _Because, Beca, I chose the activity. So that is what we are going to do."_

Beca doesn't flinch or cower at Aubrey's harsh tone. If anything, her body language becomes even more defiant towards the blonde girl.

" _That sounds terrible. Nobody wants to paint by numbers. What are you, like five?"_

" _No,"_ Aubrey scoffs, _"Paint by numbers are an acceptable activity."_

" _Yeah, when you're a toddler. It literally tells you what to do. There is no creative thought that you have to put into them."_

" _So. It's nice to have a structured activity once in a while."_

" _Yeah, I don't really want to do that. It sounds really boring."_

" _It doesn't matter what you think about it. I have chosen this activity for the group."_

" _You would choose a controlled activity like this for us to do."_

" _Newsflash. This isn't the Beca show."_

" _I'm not going to sit and be controlled by a piece of paper, telling me what to paint, and what color to paint it."_

Chloe knows that chaos is about to ensue if she doesn't step forward to stop Beca's argument with her best friend. She can see the hurt radiating from Aubrey's eyes, although her demeanor remains stoic. Chloe knows that her best friend is about five seconds away from bursting into tears and there is no way that Chloe can let that happen. The only thing that Aubrey hates more than failure is being emotional in front of other people. Over the years of their friendship, Aubrey has become comfortable enough with Chloe to cry in front of her, but she knows that Aubrey would be mortified if she were to cry in front of their cabin mates. Chloe takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before stepping forward. "Beca…." Chloe's soft voice breaks through the tension, a tentative hand coming to rest on Beca's shoulder. _"Please…"_

Beca's stiff posture immediately relaxes under Chloe's soft touch. Chloe can hear a soft exhale leave the brunette's lips. When navy blue eyes turn towards her, the anger in them has completely dissipated. Chloe offers Beca a soft smile before turning her attention towards the other girls.

" _Come on guys. This could be fun. Let's give it a shot."_

Aubrey gives Chloe a grateful smile as the girls grumble their acceptance. They shuffle behind Aubrey as she leads them out of the room towards the arts and crafts area. Chloe, Stacie and Beca are the last three to leave, Chloe's hand still resting on Beca's shoulder.

" _Thanks Beca."_

" _It's fine."_

" _No. I know that you don't want to do a kiddy paint by numbers thing. But Aubrey gets crazy when she isn't in control of something. Paint by numbers has always been calming for her."_

" _Seriously, Chloe. It's fine. I don't mind."_

" _Still, thank you."_

 **Stacie POV**

Stacie wasn't normally one to complain. Being an easy going person, she rarely found herself in situations that she would deem unbearable.

As it turns out, paint by numbers with Aubrey in charge was one of those situations. They've only been sitting in the arts and crafts room for ten minutes and Stacie can already feel her patience starting to wan. The blonde in charge, that Beca has started to refer to as the 'Craft Nazi,' has been barking orders non-stop since they started their activity.

By the look on Beca's face, her annoyance is at an all-time high, threatening to boil over at any moment. Beca's jaw is clenched tightly, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. The tension in her left hand is bending the plastic paintbrush that she is holding. Stacie is pretty sure that the paintbrush can't take much more abuse before it snaps.

Chloe on the other hand, is completely oblivious to the scene that is threatening to unfold in front of her. She is humming happily as she paints, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Aubrey is pacing the room, her mouth set in a frown, arms crossed behind her back. Stacie watches the blonde girl as she stops at each girl's station, looking over their work.

" _You have to paint inside of the lines, Ashley, they aren't a suggestion."_

The blonde girl turns her head to look at Aubrey with a frown on her face.

" _But I'm Jessica."_

" _Whatever,"_ is all that Aubrey replies before walking away.

Flo leans over as soon as Aubrey walks away, stage whispering to Jessica.

" _She's right you know. Back in Guatemala, they cut off your fingers if you color outside the lines."_

Jessica's eyes widen in horror at Flo's words, she turns her attention back to her picture, carefully starting to paint again.

Aubrey's next stop is at Amy's picture. The Tasmanian girl is seated on the floor next to her chair, her materials spread out around her. She has a paintbrush tucked between her toes, carefully painting her picture with her feet.

" _Amy, what the heck are you doing?"_

" _I'm toe painting."_

" _Yes. I can see that. Why?"_

" _Because I am the best toe painter in Tasmania. With two feet."_

" _That doesn't make any sense."_

" _Hmmm…still. I have better artistic ability with my feet."_

Aubrey's eyes fall to the painting again. She lets out a sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat.

" _I can't even be mad at you, because you're right."_

Amy lets out a loud whoop as Aubrey walks away.

" _Crushed it."_

Stacie lets out a soft snicker, shaking her head in disbelief as she turns her attention back to her own painting. She works silently for a few minutes, her tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration. Her focus is broken as Aubrey lets out a shriek, making her nearly jump out of her skin.

" _Lilly! For the love of God, stop throwing knives at your painting!"_

Another soft laugh escapes Stacie's lips as Aubrey chastises Lilly. She really can't believe that Aubrey is so serious about the whole paint by numbers activity. Chloe did say that Aubrey had a control issue thing, but Stacie didn't think that it was as extreme as it seems to be. She watches in awe as Aubrey makes her way to the table that she is sharing with Chloe and Beca. Aubrey stops in front of Chloe's workspace first, green eyes scanning over her best friend's work.

" _Chloe, you can't paint a horse pink. Have you ever seen a pink horse?"_ Aubrey picks up the painting, holding it in front of Chloe's face. _"You're not even following the color guidelines."_

" _Yeah, well. I didn't feel like it, Bree."_

" _The color guidelines are to be followed Chloe. You know that. Why would you deviate?"_

" _It's just a picture, Aubrey, chill."_

" _Oh like you can talk, Beca. Do you even know how to use any colors besides black and various shades of gray?"_

" _Um, I do. I just choose not to follow your rules."_

" _There is a system in place for a reason, Beca. To break that system would cause complete chaos."_

" _Aubrey, its fine. Calm down, please."_

" _Ugh, whatever. It's ruined now anyway."_

Aubrey looks over Stacie's picture last. She takes the picture in her hands, her green eyes scanning over the work that Stacie has completed thus far. A small smile graces the blonde's features. After a few passes over the paper, her smile shifts into a small frown. Stacie's eyebrows furrow in confusion, she was pretty sure that she had followed the directions to the 'T.' if only to appease the blonde.

" _This is pretty good Stacie. But you mixed up your blues so your highlights are off."_

" _Oh my god, seriously!"_

Aubrey whips around at the sound of Beca's raised voice. The small brunette is seething, her fists clenched at her sides.

" _It's just a freaking painting Aubrey. It's not the end of the world."_

" _Sure. It starts as just a painting. It ends in the fall of mankind."_

" _That's just ridiculous."_

" _What do you know, Beca?"_

" _I know that you are an absolute control freak."_

Aubrey's eyes widen in horror at Beca's declaration. Her hands come up to swipe at her eyes inconspicuously. Without another word, Aubrey walks away from the table, leaving the room in a rush.

" _Jeez Beca, that was kind of harsh."_

" _Oh? But tearing apart everybody else's work isn't?"_

" _Guys."_ Chloe's soft voice chimes in. _"I know that she comes off as kind of rude, but she is really nice. She just doesn't really know how to deal with people."_

" _I uh…"_ Beca drops her face into her hands. _"I didn't mean to make her upset."_

" _Becs. Don't worry about it. She'll be alright. She just doesn't like to be emotional in front of other people. Her father always told her that showing emotions was a sign of weakness."_

" _Ugh."_ Beca lifts her head out of her hands, sliding her fingers through her brunette locks. The look of despair on her best friend's face makes Stacie's heart break. Her normally stunted best friend is so torn up over upsetting a girl that she just met. Stacie suspects that the reason for that is the redheaded girl that is currently seated between them. _"I need to go apologize to her."_

" _Maybe you should let her cool down first Beca."_

" _Yeah…that would probably be a good idea, Becs. Aubrey gets kinda intense when she is emotional."_

" _Okay."_

" _In the meantime, you can continue to paint your super awesome grey and black painting."_

" _Shut up Stace."_

 **General POV**

Beca was not happy about the prospect of summer camp. She wasn't one for being part of a group, being forced to bond with strangers for the miniscule amount of time that she was free from school. She was already forced to pretend to bond with strangers during the school year, so summer was her time to be by herself, or hang out with Stacie.

It was kind of weird how Beca's dynamic with her best friend worked. Stacie is pretty much the complete opposite of Beca in terms of being social. Stacie absolutely flourishes when it comes to being social, often coined as a 'social butterfly.'

Stacie could pretty much fit in with any group at school. Even with the ability to befriend anyone back home, she still stuck by Beca's side.

She hadn't really ever gone out of her way to bring another friend into her and Beca's circle before. Until Chloe Beale, that is.

Four days into their stay at camp is when Stacie first brought it up to Beca. It was pretty much the only night that Chloe didn't sleepover with them, opting to hang out with Aubrey for the night. They spent the majority of the evening after dinner together, parting only when their counselor told them that it was time for bed.

Beca had barely had enough time to settle underneath her blankets before she felt the bed dip as Stacie crawled in beside her. Beca turns around with a huff, meeting her best friend's spectacled gaze. Stacie offers her a sleepy smile, pushing her glasses up on her face before speaking.

" _Hey."_

" _Hey yourself."_

" _What's up?"_

" _I think that I should be asking you that question Stace. After all, you crawled into my bed."_

" _Oh..yeah…"_

" _So, what's up?"_

" _Nothing really."_

" _Okay, so unless you want to cuddle, talk to me or get out of my bed."_

" _God. You're always straight to the point Becs."_

" _Because it's late Stace. I'm tired."_

" _Okay….fine…I want to talk to you about Chloe."_

" _What about her?"_

" _Well, what do you think about her?"_

Beca tucks her bottom lip into her mouth, worrying the skin between her teeth. She ponders her best friend's question for a long moment.

What does she think about Chloe Beale, really?

She thinks that Chloe is the kindest person that she has ever met. She wants to know more about the fiery redhead that has weaseled her way into Beca and Stacie's little group. In less than a week, Chloe managed to become an important piece of a friendship that had been built over many years. Beca is slightly scared at how deeply she has grown to care about Chloe in such a short amount of time.

" _Becs?"_ Stacie's sleepy green eyes focus on Beca, trying to decipher the contemplative look on her best friend's face.

" _Hmm?"_ At the sound of Stacie's voice, Beca's navy blue eyes flit up to meet Stacie's amused gaze.

" _You with me still?"_

" _Yeah, sorry."_

" _So?"_

" _So what?"_

" _What do you think about Chloe?"_

" _Um…I mean…she's okay."_

" _Just okay?"_

" _I dunno dude, like, what do you think about her?"_

" _I think that she's amazing."_

" _Amazing?"_

" _Yeah. She's like the sweetest person ever. I want her to be our friend."_

" _Well, I mean. Do you really want to spend time getting to know her?"_

" _Yes. Why wouldn't I?"_

" _Because, Stace, we are only going to be here for seven more weeks. After that, we go back to Atlanta. And she goes back to Tampa."_

" _So?"_

" _So why would you want to waste your time making friends with her when we are going to go be forced apart in less than two months?"_

Stacie's eyes widen at Beca's harsh words. Her hands reach up to pull her glasses off of her face. Stacie turns over for a second to set her glasses on the little table next to their bunk bed. She turns back around to face Beca, rubbing at her eyes with her fingertips.

" _I don't think that getting to know her would be a waste of time, Beca. And I don't believe that you feel that way either."_

" _Yes, I do."_

" _No you don't, Beca."_ Stacie's hands come to rest on her best friend's cheeks, forcing Beca to meet her eyes. _"Look, I get it. You're scared."_

" _What,"_ Beca scoffs, _"no I'm not."_

" _Yes, you are. It's fine Becs. I'm scared too."_

" _Dude, no."_

" _Listen to me, Beca Mitchell. I know you better than you know yourself. And I get it, out of the two of us; you are not as open to letting somebody get to know you as I am. You don't let people in easily, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I really think that we met Chloe for a reason. And I think that we need to give her a chance."_

" _But…"_

" _Seriously, Becs. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't feel a connection to her."_

Beca pulls her face away from Stacie's hands, dropping her head against her best friend's collarbones. Stacie brings her arms around Beca's neck, pulling the shorter girl into a tight embrace.

" _I'm scared, Stace."_ Beca's reply is muffled against Stacie's neck.

" _I know you are Beca. But we will never know if we don't give it a shot."_

" _Fine."_

" _You're not going to regret this, Becs."_

" _Hmmm."_

The last thing that Beca remembers before she falls asleep is Stacie whispering 'thank you' into her hair.

If there was one thing about Beca that Stacie would never dare tell a soul, it would be the fact that she is a secret cuddler.

Stacie has lost count of the times that she has woken up completely wrapped up in her best friend's arms. Most of the time, Stacie manages to pull out of Beca's embrace before she wakes up, acting as if they slept on opposite sides of the bed.

There have been a few times when Stacie was not successful, or Beca has woken up first. Each time, Beca would grumble something about killing Stacie if she ever told anybody, before falling back to sleep.

Being at camp didn't really change their routine at all, aside from the fact that Stacie would make sure to be on the opposite side of the bed before the other girls woke up.

Once they brought Chloe into their circle, all of their routines changed.

Because Chloe Beale was a grade 'A' cuddle bug. She loved nothing more than to wrap up her two favorite brunettes' in the tightest hugs that her tiny body could manage.

After Stacie and Beca decided on getting to know Chloe better, the three girls have been completely inseparable. There hasn't been a night where the three of them haven't fallen asleep in either Beca and Stacie's bed, or Chloe's.

Stacie went from being cuddled by Beca, to being cuddled by Beca and Chloe while they slept. She would wake up in the muggy Savannah heat, her body completely overheated by the two girls cuddled into her sides. She would break out of Beca's embrace before her best friend woke up, but she was never able to extract her body from Chloe's.

Not that Stacie really minded being cuddled by her new friend. Chloe's tiny arms being wrapped around her body gave Stacie a sense of safety, a feeling of being at home. The feelings were something that her twelve year old mind couldn't completely understand.

Normally, summers in Savannah were muggy and hot. This summer, the weather did a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn. It wasn't cold, per se, but it was about twenty degrees cooler than normal. The cooler weather would've been awesome for hiking and outdoor activities, except for the fact that they were in the middle of a weeklong rainstorm.

The group had been unable to do any sort of outdoor activity for the last four days, stuck inside due to torrential downpours and flooding in the area. The first two days of rain, all of the campers were stuck in their cabins, trying their best not to go crazy from cabin fever.

By the third day, Gail knew that she had to get the girls out of their cabin before they all killed each other.

So she made a plan to quickly move them all to the kitchen so that they could bake. Gail figured that if there was one thing that would bring them all together, it would be baking and decorating cookies, right?

Wrong. She was so very wrong. Half of the girls showed absolutely no interest in baking once they moved to the kitchen, and the other half were interested in helping, they were just terrible at it.

Chloe and Aubrey were the exceptions in the group. Both of their mothers ran a bakery back home in Tampa, so they were ecstatic about spending their afternoon making cookies. They were grouped with Jessica and Ashley to complete the prepping and mixing portion.

Stacie had absolutely no skill when it came to the actual baking portion, so she was put in the decorating group with Cynthia Rose, Lilly, and Flo.

Amy and Beca refused to work in either group, deeming themselves the 'tasters.' They picked out all of the ugly cookies and ate them, stating that they were 'unfit for public consumption.'

For not wanting to help bake cookies, the girls were enthusiastically participating. They spent the better part of the afternoon baking and decorating cookies.

Beca had lost count over how many 'ugly' cookies she had unceremoniously eaten in that time. She matched Amy cookie for cookie. And now she was paying for it. She was pretty sure that she was going to be sick, or fall into a sugar induced coma.

Rubbing her full tummy, she makes her way over to the decorating table. Stacie is hunched over in her seat, piping icing onto a butterfly shaped cookie. Beca plops down into the chair next to her best friend, letting out at huff as her butt hits the hard plastic. Stacie's head snaps up at the sound, her warm green eyes locking onto Beca's face. She gives Beca a soft smile, her eyes scrunching up behind her glasses.

" _What's up B?"_

" _Ugh…I ate too many cookies dude. I'm gonna be sick."_

" _Serves you right my dear."_

" _Shush."_

" _What are you two talking about?"_

" _Oh,"_ Stacie says as Chloe walks up to the two of them, _"Becs was just talking about how she shouldn't've had so many cookies."_

" _Yeah, that probably wasn't a good idea, B."_

" _Well, I regret nothing."_

" _You say that now, but when you toss your cookies…"_ Chloe's statement teeters off as she begins to chuckle.

" _Ha, ha. Very funny Chloe."_

" _Thank you. I thought so too."_

" _You're ridiculous."_

" _I know."_ Chloe's eyebrow furrows as her eyes linger on Stacie's face. She brings her thumb and index finger into her mouth, licking them before leaning in slightly. She swipes at Stacie's cheek with her wet fingers, wiping away a smudge of what she thinks is icing. _"Sorry Stace. You had some icing on your cheek."_

" _Dude, gross. Chlo, if you ever put spit covered fingers on my cheek, I will punch you."_

" _Okay. I will remember that."_

" _Harsh, B. Jeez. Thank you for cleaning my face, Chlo. I appreciate it."_

" _You're welcome. That's what friends are for."_

" _Back home, being spit on meant that you were highly respected."_ Flo says as she covers her cookie in sprinkles.

" _Gross dude."_

" _I keep all of my spit in a jar under my bed."_

" _Oh my god. How do you stand sitting at this table, Stacie?"_

" _What? I think that Flo and Lilly are hilarious."_

" _You know, I'm not surprised that you think so."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?"_

" _Nothing,"_ Beca laughs as she grabs another cookie off of the table, _"get back to decorating, woman."_

" _No, not a chance dude."_

" _Oh come on Beca."_

" _Absolutely not."_

" _But why not?"_

" _Amy. Are you seriously thinking about getting on stage with Aubrey, Stacie and Chloe to sing the Spice Girls?"_

" _I mean. I would like to. Even though all of the other campers will probably be like, why is the most talented one Australian?"_

" _That's ridiculous, Amy."_

" _You're just saying that because it's true. Wait until you see me mermaid dance. It'll blow your mind."_

" _Mermaid dance? Is that even a thing?"_

" _Of course it is flat butt. Now let's go."_

Beca reluctantly follows Amy to the stage where Chloe and Stacie are currently arguing with Aubrey over what song they should perform. Beca shakes her head in disbelief, scoffing at the situation.

If somebody told her that she would be standing here, a month and a half later, getting ready to sing on a stage with four other girls, she would probably laugh in their face. Or punch them. She's not really sure which one she would be more tempted to do.

But the last month and a half of the summer has shaped Beca into a different person. Not drastically or unrecognizably different, but changed nonetheless.

She never in a million years thought that she would enjoy being at summer camp, not that she will ever admit to that as long as she lives.

She definitely didn't think that she would end up becoming close with the girls in her cabin. For not being a very social person, Beca had become extremely attached to the Bellas'.

She still has her disagreements with Aubrey, as both of them are headstrong to the point of being stubborn. But even they have managed to form an unlikely bond. That might be due to the fiery redhead that they both call their best friend now.

Chloe Beale, the redheaded girl that came storming through Beca and Stacie's life like a tornado. The three girls have grown especially close in the past month and a half, to the point of them being completely inseparable. Beca was never one to be clingy, even with Stacie, so at first it took her by surprise.

Chloe was pushy and persistent when it came to Beca opening up. But she was also the most patient and nurturing when Beca was resistant to letting Chloe get to know her.

In the end, of course Chloe's patient nature won out.

Stacie was a completely different story when it came to Chloe. The two hit it off instantly, becoming as thick as thieves as soon as Beca gave the go ahead.

The pair was detrimental to Beca's ability to say no. They would say jump, and Beca would reluctantly say, 'how high?'

At the subtle clearing of her throat, the two girls in question turn their attention towards Beca. Chloe's face immediately lit up in a bright smile, the skin around her eyes crinkling from the force of it.

" _Becs! Are you ready to sing?"_

" _Ummm, about that. I don't think that I am going to do that Chlo."_

" _But…"_

" _Becs, you promised."_

Beca knows that she is about to lose this fight. The way that Chloe's eyes are glossing over and the way that Stacie is biting her bottom lip tell her that they are about to pull out the big guns. They break out into pouts simultaneously, rendering Beca speechless. The sadness is rolling off the two in waves and it is making Beca cave. She can't say no to either girl, so why should she even bother trying? She climbs up onto the stage with a huff, letting out a grunt as two pairs of arms embrace her tightly.

" _You two are jerks."_

" _Oh my god, this is going to be so much fun BECS!"_ The squeal that Chloe lets out instantly makes Beca's head hurt. She fights her way out of her friends' arms, freeing herself with a groan.

" _Can we just get this over with so that I can die of embarrassment?"_

" _It's going to be awesome Beca."_

" _Whatever you say, Stace. I do have to tell you that if you mention this to Jesse or Benji when we go back to school, I'll have to kill you while you sleep."_

" _Please. You're way too small to kill me."_

" _You're barely taller than me!"_

" _Ladies. As much fun as this is, we have to practice for the performance."_

Beca is unable to keep her eyes from rolling as Aubrey butts into the conversation.

" _This is why I don't want to do this. Preforming is supposed to be fun."_

" _It's going to be fun."_

" _Not with you holding the reins."_

" _What's that supposed to mean, Beca?"_

" _What it means, Aubrey, is that you are too tightly wound. You don't know how to have fun."_

" _Girls, seriously. Enough arguing. We are going to get up on that stage and we are going to blow everybody's minds."_

" _With the Spice Girls? Doubtful."_

" _Just you wait, short stack. We are going to rock these fools."_

" _Sure, sure. Whatever you say Amy."_

The next few hours were spent practicing the choreography to 'Wannabe.' By the end of the afternoon Beca was pretty sure that she was going to have nightmares about dancing.

She would never admit it, but she had a blast learning the dance moves from Stacie and Chloe. She was quickly learning that every moment spent with her two best friends was going to be one to remember.

Chloe was having the time of her life. This was definitely her favorite year so far at camp, even more so then the first year that she and Aubrey were able to come to camp.

Befriending Stacie and Beca wasn't something that Chloe really planned on doing. From the first moment that she laid eyes on Beca, she knew that the tiny brunette was special. That she was meant to be in Chloe's life.

Beca was slightly awkward and close off at first, unwilling to open up and get to know the fiery redhead. But Chloe was persistent and unwilling to give up. It only took Chloe one full day to get Beca to open up to her.

Stacie was a completely different story. She took to Chloe right away, learning all of the tiny details of Chloe's life, as well as sharing her own. By the third day of know Stacie, Chloe was pretty sure that she knew everything that there was to know about the brunette.

Now, they only have two weeks left of the summer program and Chloe isn't sure what she is going to do. She knows that leaving the two girls behind is going to crush her, and that maybe pursuing a friendship with them wasn't her wisest decision. But she was drawn to both of them from the very beginning. Now that Chloe has had the chance to really get to know Stacie and Beca, there is no way that she regrets her decision to befriend them. No matter how much it is going to hurt her at the end of the summer.

Being the ever optimistic that Chloe is, she's sure that she will be able keep up with them, even being almost five hundred miles apart. They can call each other on the phone, or write each other letters. Whatever works. Chloe is positive that they will be able to continue their friendship throughout the school year. And if they are all lucky, they will be able to return to camp next summer.

Chloe doesn't dare think about things not going her way, because honestly? Her fragile little heart can't take that pain. So, she will push on, and hoard all of the tidbits of information that Beca and Stacie are feeding her about themselves. She will hold them close to her heart and memorize every physical feature of the two brunettes' that she possibly can. Hopefully that will be enough to hold her over until she gets to see them again.

But she's not going to dwell on that right now. Because she only has two more weeks to spend with her newfound friends, and she wants to soak up every single second of it.

She just hopes that she doesn't have a complete mental breakdown when it's time to go home.

Stacie always had a love hate relationship with summer break. On one hand, she loved being able to stay up late and spend as much time with Beca as she wanted. They would spend nights sneaking into Beca's living room to watch scary movies, even though they weren't supposed to. Watching scary movies would always end with them staying up all night, too afraid to sleep.

As much as Stacie loved spending all of her free time with Beca, she couldn't help but miss being at school. It wasn't that being around Beca wasn't enough, because she really was. No, what Stacie missed about being at school was learning.

Stacie had always had an insatiable need to learn new things. She was like a sponge when it came to learning, especially when it came to anything science related. All of her free time that wasn't spent with Beca was spent reading her dad's astronomy books. She had a serious fascination with everything involving space and the stars. It wasn't something that she could explain really; she just loved the vast unknown of space.

So, she was always sad to have the summer end, but she was also excited to be able to go back to school. This year was different. She wasn't excited about the prospect of leaving Chloe behind, especially considering the fact that they lived almost five hundred miles away from her.

Stacie is adamant about making the long distance friendship work, come hell or high water. She will use every avenue possible to keep in touch with Chloe.

She knows that she is going to have to be there to pick up the pieces when Beca unsurprisingly falls apart. Even though the tiny brunette puts on a brave front, she is the most vulnerable of all. Beca tends to mask her emotions, desperately trying to not let them show. But when she does, she breaks down completely. And it shatters Stacie's heart every single time it happens, even though it is a rare occasion now.

Stacie will try her hardest to keep Beca's spirits up until they get to see Chloe again. She will do whatever it takes to keep her best friend afloat, even while she is drowning inside.

Three days. Three days was all that they had left at camp. It was now Thursday. They had Thursday, Friday, and Saturday left together. On Sunday, Chloe's mom and Aubrey's mom would be there to pick them up. And they would be on their way home. Away from Beca and Stacie. Sure it was only a seven hour drive, but right now it felt like they were going to be on other sides of the world.

The summer that they spent together was quickly coming to an end, and all three of them were overcome with emotion about it.

Stacie and Chloe were extra clingy and emotional during this time, trying to ignore the pain that was crushing their tiny hearts.

Beca on the other hand, was broodier than normal, more irritable in an attempt to distance herself a little. She was in no way prepared to leave and she felt like if maybe she made Chloe pull away first, that would keep her from falling apart.

Much to her disappointment, the harder she fought, the harder Chloe fought back. She wouldn't allow Beca to push her away.

The group decided that they wanted to camp for their last weekend. Even though they were already technically camping, they wanted to really rough it. No tents, just sleeping bags under the stars.

The wacky weather that is normal for Georgia decided to cooperate for once, leaving the skies clear and the temperature tolerable. The three girls walk towards the campsite together, silent as they make the trek. Chloe is in-between Beca and Stacie, her arms looped in theirs.

She reluctantly breaks away when they reach the campsite, searching for an open area so that she can set up the sleeping bags for herself, Beca and Stacie. She thought that Aubrey was going to sleep near her, but she has recently become close with Jessica and Ashley, so she is spending the night near them.

Setting up their camp doesn't take long considering that they are roughing it. It takes the girls a few minutes to unroll their sleeping bags and get set up. After getting settled, they make their way over to the fire pit that Gail is currently setting up a fire in. Chloe finds a log for them to sit on, sitting in-between Beca and Stacie.

The night is spent roasting hot dogs on the fire. They talk about their lives when they are at home, and their families. They spend the night bonding, becoming closer as a group.

It's during s'more time that Beca has an epiphany. She's become dependent on these girls. Yeah, she is closest with Chloe and Stacie, but the whole group has become like her family. Beca 'I don't need anybody' Mitchell has become emotionally attached to this misfit group of girls.

That thought alone causes a surge of panic to course through her body. They are all leaving in less than three days to go back to their respective homes. She can feel her hands start to shake as she struggles to hold onto the stick that she has speared through her marshmallow.

" _Hey."_

Beca's head snaps towards Chloe's soft voice. Her widened eyes meet Chloe's soft baby blues.

" _It's going to be okay Beca."_

" _I don't know what you're talking about."_

Chloe's arm loops though Beca's, pulling their shoulders together

" _Becs. I know that I haven't been your friend for very long. But I am very good at reading people. And even if I wasn't, I can see your hands shaking. What's shakin' bacon?"_

" _Nothing."_

" _Please. I know that you're lying. Seriously, talk to me Beca."_

" _It doesn't matter, Chloe."_

" _Of course it does."_

" _Yeah, but it won't matter in a few days when you go back home."_

" _Is that what this is about?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Is this about summer being almost over?"_

" _Of course it is."_

" _Aw, Becs. I'm going to miss you too. But just because we don't live near each other doesn't mean that we can't keep in touch during the school year."_

" _You say that right now."_

" _Becs…."_

" _No, it's fine Chloe. We're going to make all of these promises about staying in touch. But you and I both know that there is no way that we will be able to keep up with them."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _You're going to go back home to Florida, back to your friends there. And I'll just be a distant summer camp memory that you will eventually forget about."_

" _It's not going to be like that and you know it."_

" _No, I don't."_

" _Becs, look at me."_ Chloe moves her arm out from beneath Beca's. Her fingers come to rest under Beca's chin, tilting the brunette's head up to meet her eyes. The sadness in Beca's eyes breaks Chloe's heart. _"I promise you that there is no way that I could forget you. You and Stacie have quickly become two of my closest friends."_

" _Yeah, but it won't last."_

" _Yes it will. You and Stacie mean so much to me. I know that it's crazy because we've only known each other for a few months. But this has been the best couple of months of my life."_

" _Mine too."_

" _But most importantly, me three."_ Stacie says with a chuckle.

" _So we aren't going to negative about the fact that in a few days we have to go home. I expect you and Stace to call me whenever you get a chance. And you guys had better come back to camp next summer."_ Chloe laughs almost sadly, wiping at her eyes.

" _Oh don't worry Chlo; I'll make sure that Beca comes back."_

" _Good. Or else I'll talk my mom into driving me to Atlanta so I can come kick both of your butts."_

" _You wish, Beale."_

The three girls laugh softly, huddling close together as they chose to ignore the pain that they will have to face when they leave camp in a few days.

" _Stacie?"_

" _Hmm,"_ Stacie croaks sleepily, one eye cracking open to see a timid looking Chloe sitting by her sleeping bag. Chloe's hands are clasped in front of her, and she is nervously wringing her fingers together. As Stacie continues to glace at her friend, she notices that Chloe's face is red and a little puffy, almost as if she has just been crying. _"Are you okay Chloe?"_

" _I can't sleep."_

" _What's wrong?"_

" _I'm scared."_

" _Why?"_ Stacie scoots over in her sleeping bag. She pats the now empty space next to her with a sleepy smile. _"Get in."_

" _Are you sure? I don't want to take up all of the space."_

" _Chloe, I'm positive. Get in here."_

" _Okay."_

Chloe squeezes into the small space next to Stacie and immediately settles in next to the brunette. Stacie lazily wraps an arm around Chloe's waist and pulls her into a tight hug.

" _Wanna tell me why you're scared?"_

" _It's stupid."_

" _I'm sure that it's not."_

" _I can't sleep because I'm afraid of ghosts."_

" _Okay. There aren't any ghosts out here."_

" _I know, but those stories that Amy was telling made me have a nightmare and now I'm afraid to go back to sleep."_

" _Will it help you if you sleep next to me tonight?"_

" _Maybe, but I don't know if I can fall back to sleep."_

" _Guys…go to sleep,"_ Beca grumbles next to Stacie and Chloe. Her eyes are slightly opened, sluggishly taking in the sight before her.

" _I can't sleep Becs."_

" _Did you know that stars don't really twinkle?"_

" _What?"_ Chloe turns in Stacie's arms, looking up at the brunette with confusion written across her features. Stacie can barely make out her furrowed brow in the dark of the night.

" _Stars don't twinkle."_

" _Okay?"_

" _The twinkling effect is the light from the star passing through the Earth's atmosphere and it is deflecting the light before it reaches your eyes."_

" _Stacie is a huge space nerd. She knows all sorts of random facts about space and stars and stuff."_

" _That's really cool Stace."_

" _Thanks."_

" _Will you tell me more?"_

" _Sure. Let's see here. Did you know that the light from starts takes millions of years to reach Earth, so when you look at the stars you are literally looking back in time?"_

" _Really?"_

" _Yup."_

" _That's so cool."_

" _It is pretty neat. One day on Mercury lasts about as long as fifty nine days on Earth."_

" _Woah. You really like space don't you?"_

" _Yeah, it's a pretty amazing thing. I want to be an astrophysicist when I grow up."_

" _I don't even know what that is."_

" _It's basically a scientist that studies stars, planets and galaxies."_

" _Oh, okay. That sounds awesome. Do you know a lot about stars?"_

" _I know a little bit. My dad is an astrophysicist and I like to read his books about space."_

" _Cool. Can you teach me some stuff?"_

" _Sure. Can we start tomorrow though? I'm really tired."_

" _Yeah, that's fine."_

" _Do you think that you can sleep now?"_

" _I think so. Just don't leave me alone."_

" _I won't, promise."_

" _Okay."_

Stacie's grip tightens around Chloe's waist, pulling their bodies flush together. It makes her heart race a little bit and small flutters to erupt in her stomach. She chalks it up to being tired. It's not long before she feels Chloe's body relax, sleep finally taking over. She rests her chin on top of Chloe's head, slowing her breathing so that it matches the redhead's. She can feel her body start to relax as her heartrate slows, sleep beginning to demand her attention.

The weekend passes much too quickly for the three girls. Before they know it, it's time for them to go home.

They've all been quiet today, packing up their suitcases as they wait for their parents to show up. Stacie and Beca aren't going home until tomorrow, so they keep everything that they need for the next day before shoving their other stuff into their duffel bags. When they finish, they both make their way over to Chloe and Aubrey's bunk. The blonde is sitting Indian style on the top bunk, meticulously separating and folding her clothing.

" _Hey Bree,"_ Beca's voice is small as she fights to mask the tumultuous emotions coursing through her body.

Aubrey's leans over the side of her bed, a questioning look on her face.

" _Yes?"_

" _Where's Chloe?"_

Aubrey's gaze flits down to Chloe's bed. The sheets are straightened, covers perfectly pulled up and military corners intact. Chloe's duffle bag is sitting on top of the made bed, filled to the brim and zipped up.

" _I don't know. She was just here a minute ago."_

" _Crap….maybe she had to go to the bathroom Becs."_

" _No. I know where she is."_

" _Where is she?"_

Beca takes off without another word, her tiny legs pumping as she breaks out in a full sprint. Stacie runs after Beca, her taller stature making it easy for her to keep up with her best friend. By the time they make it to where Beca leads them, both girls are huffing loudly to catch their breath.

Stacie doesn't notices Chloe right away, eyes searching franticly for her friend. After a few moments of searching, she finally spots the redhead. She is sitting on a rock off of the side of the lake, hidden by the most beautiful flowers that Stacie has ever seen. Chloe has her knees pulled up against her chest, and her small arms are wrapped around her legs. Her face is resting against her jean clad thighs and her eyes are closed. She looks almost serene as she sits there. If it wasn't for the wetness that both girls can see patterned on her cheeks. Her cries are silent, so as not to give away her secret hiding place.

" _How'd you know that she was here?"_

" _Um, she told me about it. It's her favorite place to be in camp. I guess that she found it the first year that she came to camp. She got into a fight with Aubrey and took off. Found this spot and has been coming here ever since. She only hangs out here when she gets really upset."_

" _Ugh…I don't want to go over there if she's upset. I can't. It makes me sad B."_

" _I know Stace. But she's our friend. If she's sad, it's our job to make her feel better."_

" _Are you sad about leaving her?"_

" _Of course I am."_

" _So let's go spend what time we have left with her."_

Both girls walk quickly over to the rock, taking a seat on either side of Chloe. Stacie brings an arm around Chloe's shoulder to pull her into a hug. Chloe lets her head fall into Stacie's neck. Beca slides an arm around Chloe's waist so that she can snuggle into the redhead's side.

" _Chlo, are you okay?"_ Stacie finally breaks the silence after a few moments. The only response that she receives is Chloe shaking her head, her nose rubbing against Stacie's neck. _"Why are you hiding out here?"_

" _I don't want to leave."_

" _Yeah camp was alright."_ Beca grumbles next to Chloe.

" _No, I don't care about camp. I don't want to leave you guys."_

" _We don't want to leave you either. Unfortunately, we don't really have a choice. But we'll be back together before you know it."_

" _I know. It just sucks."_

" _I agree,"_ Beca sighs out sadly as she tightens her grip on Chloe's waist. _"Can we not talk about it anymore? I just want to enjoy the small amount of time that we have left together."_

" _You're right. When will your mom be here to pick you up Chlo?"_

" _She should be here in a couple of hours."_

" _What do you wanna do until then?"_

" _Can we just stay here?"_

" _Whatever you want. Right Becs?"_

" _Mmhmm."_

Its two hours later when they begrudgingly leave their rocky safe haven. They make their way back to their cabin slowly, arms linked as they walk. The emotion is thick between them, almost stifling in its intensity.

Beca is feeling pretty overwhelmed by her emotions right now. She's never really been great at working out her feelings. Usually she ignores them altogether and seems kind of bitchy to other people. Or she becomes so overcome with them that she can't handle them, usually ending in a massive breakdown.

At this moment in time, she's thinking that she's probably going to suffer from a massive breakdown. Her chest feels pretty tight and she feels like she can't breathe. She really doesn't want to cry in front of Chloe, because the redhead is already emotional. Seeing Beca breakdown will only serve to make things worse.

Glancing at Stacie, she can tell that her best friend isn't faring much better. Her spectacled eyes are glossy with unshed tears and her jaw is clenched so tightly that Beca is afraid that Stacie is going to break a tooth.

Beca wants so badly to run from this situation. She wants to find a place to be alone so that she can let herself go. She wants to cry and scream and just become an absolute mess, but she doesn't want it to happen in front of the girls.

When she sees Aubrey standing next to an older version of herself, she knows that their time is up. She hears Stacie suck in a deep breath and that is all that it takes to tip her over the edge. Her eyes burn as they fill with tears, immediately spilling down her cheeks. She feels Chloe's hand tighten around hers which only serves to worsen the tears.

" _Oh Becs."_ Chloe's soft voice can barely be heard over Beca's sobs.

" _You gotta….you've gotta promise me something."_

" _Anything you want."_

" _Don't forget about us. Please."_

" _I couldn't. Not ever."_

" _I don't want you to leave."_

" _I have to."_

" _I know."_

Stacie was pretty proud of herself. She had managed to hold it together up until this point, trying to be strong for her two friends. Until she saw the matching looks of devastation on Chloe and Beca's faces. Beca's was a little bit easier to read, considering the fact that she was openly bawling. Chloe on the other hand, was doing her best to hide her sadness, silent sobs causing her tiny body to shake with exertion.

Beca's tears are the last straw in Stacie's attempt to be strong. It's not very often that she sees her best friend cry. So seeing Beca so emotional was too much for her to handle. She feels her heart clench painfully, vision blurring behind her glasses.

" _I'm going to miss you Chlo."_ Stacie rasps out as her tears finally begin to fall.

" _Me too."_

" _Promise me that you two will call me when you get home tomorrow?"_

" _We promise."_

" _Okay. I'd better get going before Aubrey's mom gets impatient."_

" _Where's your mom?"_

" _Probably in the car."_

" _Okay. Can we walk with you?"_

" _Yeah, sure."_

The walk to the car is silent except for the soft cries of the girls. When they reach Chloe's mom's car, they are all blubbering messes of tears, snot, and sweat from the summer heat.

Stacie immediately pulls both of her friends up in a tight hug outside of the car. They stand there wrapped up in each other until Chloe's mom tells them that it's time to go. After helping a very reluctant Chloe into the back of the SUV, Stacie pulls Beca into her side. They watch as the SUV drives away, their watery eyes locked with Chloe's until they can't see her anymore. As soon as the car is out of sight, Beca falls to her knees, sobbing uncharacteristically loud. Stacie sits down next to Beca in the dirt and pulls the shorter brunette into her lap. Beca latches onto her best friend, holding onto Stacie for dear life.

" _It's gonna be okay Becs. We'll see her again before you know it."_

Little did they know they were going to see her again less than halfway through the school year.

' _When the sun shines, we'll shine together,  
Told you I'd be here forever,  
Said I'll always be a friend,  
Took an oath I'ma stick it out 'til the end.'_


End file.
